Coke quenching cars



July 30, 1963 wETHLY 3,099,229

COKE QUENCHING CARS Filed Feb. 27, 1961 E 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FEW/vs WETf-ILK 14 TI'OP/VEK July 30, 1963 F WETHLY COKE QUENCHING CARS INVENTOR. FEW/vs Vl E'THLK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 [4 57 y 36 g 4 lg HTTO/FNEK Filed Feb. 7, 1961 United States Patent 3,099,229 COKE QUENCHING CARS Frans Wethly, Manhasset, N.Y., assignor to Allied Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 91,754 4 Claims. (Cl. 105-254) This invention relates to coke quenching cars and more particularly to such cars having tiltable coke-receiving containers.

Since the coke-receiving containers of coke quenching cars are commonly termed baskets in the art, they will be so referred to in the following specification and claims; it will, however, be understood that the present invention is not limited to baskets but that any container can, of course, be utilized.

Coke quenching cars having inclined tiltable bottoms which facilitate the formation of uniform layers of coke thereon are known. The formation of a uniform layer in the car facilitates more uniform quench of the hot coke, decreases the quenching time, and results in more uniform coke.

It is an object of the present invention to improve such coke quenching cars by providing them with coke baskets, each of which has a gate or gates on the discharge side thereof, and an operating mechanism therefor automatically responsive to the tilting movement of the basket into discharge position, to open the gate or gates and thus effect the discharge of the coke when the cars are at the coke wharf.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such cars having relatively simple and efficient mechanism for tilting the coke baskets to position each such basket at any desired incline, so that the side of the basket adjacent the oven is properly positioned relative to the base of the coking chamber and the inclined bottom or floor of the basket is positioned at the desired incline for forming a uniform layer of coke on the floor during charging of coke into the basket, and to facilitate ready how of coke from the discharge side of each coke basket during discharging of coke from the basket.

Another object of the invention is to provide coke quenching oars having tiltable coke baskets provided with inclined fioors which are so constructed and arranged as to prevent accidental discharge of the coke therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptionthereof.

In accordance with the invention, a coke quenching car is provided comprising a supporting frame, a tiltable basket mounted on the frame, at least one discharge gate pivotal-1y mounted at or near its top edge along the length of one wall of the basket for controlling a discharge opening positioned on the wall contiguous to the floor thereof, means for tilting the basket to unload the contents of the basket, i.e., to discharge coke therefrom, and a linkage mechanism pivotally attached at one end to the gate and at the other end to the frame for automatically opening the gate as the basket is tilted into discharge position.

In the preferred embodiment, a linkage connection is employed between the basket and the means for tilting the basket, which linkage connection is adjustable to vary the length of the linkage connection and thus vary the angle at which the inclined floor of the basket is positioned. The basket is mounted for tilting movement on a pivot with the parts constructed and positioned so that the basket, whether empty, partially filled, or completely filled, is always positioned in the load charging position, unless positively actuated to the discharge position; movement to the discharge position can only be effected by actuating the means for tilting the basket so to do, i.e.,

ice

the tilting means resists tilting movement of the basket to the discharge position except when it actuates the basket to tilt it to such position.

A preferred embodiment of the coke quenching car of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, which are intended to exemplify the invention without limiting it to the illustrated embodiment. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, partially in section, of the quenching car;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section, taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the car basket in the tilted position with the discharge gate open; and

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings, a coke quenching car indicated generally at 1-1 is shown including a non-tilting undercarriage 12 and a tiltable coke basket 13 supported thereon. The undercarriage 12 comprises a rigid metal frame '14 carrying flanged wheels 15; the undercarriage is additionally equipped with standard couplers 16 and air brakes, as conventional. The coke quenching car may be moved along a suitable gauge railway track by a quenching locomotive.

The coke basket 13 is constituted of a side wall 17 on the oven side, i.e., adjacent the coke oven battery, a side wall 18 on the opposite side, i.e., on the discharge side of the car, a floor 19, and end walls 21 suitably joined together. Wall 17 is adjustable so that the entrance point of the coke into the basket can be maintained no matter what angle the floor is set, for example, the side flanges of wall 17 may be fastened for adjustable positioning relative to the end walls 21 as at 17'. The basket is supported for tilting or pivotal movement on the undercarriage 12 by hinge pins 22 mounted in bearings 23 on the undercarriage; instead of spaced pins 22 a single rod or shaft running the length of the basket and mounted for pivotal movement in bearings 23 can be employed. The axis 24 about which the basket pivots is so positioned 1at erally from the center line of the tiltable basket as to prevent the coke quenching car from accidentally discharging its contents when empty, or partially or completely charged with coke, i.e., the weight distribution is such that, at all times the basket resists movement in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIGURE 2. To move it in such direction the basket must be positively actuated, against the weight distribution as hereinafter described.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, involving a basket having two gates, tilting of the basket 13 is effected by a pair of lluid motors 25 supported on the rigid frame 14-. Each of the motors comprises. an operating cylinder 26 having fluid ports 27 and 28, and containing a piston 29 on piston rod 31. Each fluid motor effects tilting of the basket 13 through a linkage drive connected to the piston rod 31 and the floor 19 of the basket, as described hereinafter.

The piston rod 31 actuates a cross-head 32 mounted for sliding movement in a cross-head guide 33. A link 34 has one end pivotally fastened to cross-head 32 and the other end to a cross-head lever 35, which lever is pivotally mounted on a rock shaft 36, journalled in bearings 37 on the rigid frame 14. One end of a drive lever 38 is mounted on the shaft 36 and has the other end pivotally attached to a connecting rod 3-9. The connecting rod is a two-piece rod having one piece 39 in threaded engagement 'with a nut 41 mounted for rotary movement on rod 39 so that by turning the nut 41 the effective length of the two-piece rod can be changed. The threaded piece 39' is pivotally connected to a bracket 42 depending from the fioor 19 of the coke basket 13.

Each operating cylinder 26 is actuated by a pressure fluid, e.-g., compressed air, delivered to the cylinder through the ports 27 or 23. It will be understood that conventional valve and conduit mechanism is supplied to connect the operating cylinder 26 with an air compressor or other source of pressure fluid. For example, the air compressor on the quenching locomotive may be utilized to actuate the operating cylinders 26 or, if desired, a motor operated compressor may be mounted on the undercarriage 12 of the coke quenching car to actuate same. Alternatively, the operating cylinder may be actuated hydraulically, rather than pneumatically.

The coke basket 13 may be suitably dimensioned depending chiefly on the capacity of the coke oven installation for which it is. designed. Suitable dimensions, for instance, are length, approximately 40 feet, width, 12 /2 feet, side wall 17, approximately 3 feet in height and side wall 18, approximately 8 /2 feet in height. For such dimensions, as shown in FIGURE 1, two of the fluid motor 25 are positioned, as shown, for tilting the basket about the hinge pins 22. In FIGURE 1, the fluid motors 25 actuate the common rock shaft 36, on which are mounted four sets of linkage drives, each the same as hereinabove described and providing a driving connection between the fluid motors 25 and the floor 19 of the coke basket, by means of the cross-heads 32, the links 34, the cross-head levers 35, the shaft so, the drive levers 38, and the connecting rods 39. It will be understood that the size of the coke basket 13, and consequently the number of fluid motors and associated linkage drive mechanisms used to effect tilting of such basket, depends upon the size of the coke oven and may be altered in accordance with the coke oven installation to be accommodated.

A pair of discharge gates 43 are mounted adjacent their upper edges along the length of the side wall 18 of the coke quenching car. These gates control the dis charge ports which extend from the inclined floor 19 up to the level where the gates are hinged to the side wall 18. A pair of gate opening links or rods 44 are provided for automatically opening each of the discharge gates. Each of the gate opening rods is a two-piece rod having one piece 44 in threaded engagement with a nut 45 mounted for rotary movement on the rod 44 so that by turning the nut 45, the effective length of the two-piece rod can be changed. The rod 44 is pivotally connected to a pivot 46 supported on the rigid frame 14 of the undercarriage 12 of the car and the threaded piece 44 is pivotally connected to a bracket 47 secured to the gate at the upper portion thereof above the lower half of the gate. Each of the gate opening rods is contained within a housing defined by the Walls 48, as best shown in FIG- URE -4, which housing protects these rods from contact with the hot coke. The two gate opening rods at adjacent ends of the two discharge gates 43, shown in FIG- URE 4, are contained within a single housing. Any number of gate opening rods 44 may be provided, depending upon the length of the discharge gates 43 and the number of such gates utilized in the coke quenching car.

In operation, the coke quenching car is moved under the coke guide by the quenching locomotive at a rate directly proportional to, and controlled by, the travel of the pusher ram which pushes the coke out of the chamher. The coke basket 13 is disposed in the position shown in FIGURE 2, with the coke being charged into the coke basket from the side adjacent the side wall 17 thereof. The floor 19 of the coke basket .13 is inclined slightly downward to the left, viewing FIGURE 2, in order to facilitate uniform distribution of the coke charged in a thin layer over the floor of the basket. As the car is pushed past the coke guide, the coke cake is thus pushed from the :oven chambers and the basket is charged with coke without forming non-uniform heaps adjacent the side 17 of the .coke basket.

It will be understood that the angle of incline of the floor of the coke basket can be adjusted by the nuts 41 on the two-piece connecting rods 39 which support the floor 19 of the'coke basket, to thus vary the effective length of the connecting rods and alter the incline of the floor. In this fashion the coke basket can be disposed at that inclination best adapted to provide a uniform layer of coke over the basket floor in order to facilitate a uniform and speedy quench operation for each coke oven battery, when the quenching car is used, taking into account the structure and particular conditions of operation of that battery.

The coke quenching car is automatically moved toward the quenching station when the pusher ram completes its travel. At the quenching station the coke is quenched, with the coke basket 13 still disposed in the position shown in FIGURE 2.

The car is thereafter moved automatically to the coke wharf for discharge of the coke therefrom. In order to discharge the coke from the basket 13, pressure fluid is introduced through the port 28 in the operating cylinder 26, thereby effecting actuation of the fluid motor 25. As pressure fluid is introduced through port 28, fluid is exhausted through port 27 and the piston 29 is forced from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to that shown in FIGURE 3. As the piston 29 is driven to the left (viewing FIGURES 2 and 3), the piston rod 31 moves the :cross head 32 through the oross-head guide 33, in turn displacing the link 34 to the position shown in FIG- URE 3. As the link 34- is thus moved, it pivots the crosshead lever 35, which lever rocks the shaft 36, moving the drive lever 38 into the position shown in FIGURE 3, pulling the connecting rod 39 downward and thus tilting the coke basket 13 to move the floor of the coke basket 13 in the direction of the arrow 49, into the position shown in FIGURE 3.

As the coke basket 13 is tilted in the aforesaid manner, the discharge gates 43 bear against the gate opening rods 44- attached to the rigid frame 14, and are pivoted into the open position shown in FIGURE 3 by the action of such rods pivoting about the pivot 46- on the rigid frame, i.e., moving from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to that shown in FIGURE 3. As the discharge gates 43 are thus opened, the coke contained in the coke basket 13 is discharged through the discharge ports or openings contiguous to the floor 19 in the direction indicated by the arrow 51. By having the gate pivoted at its upper end to the wall :18 and the discharge opening controlled thereby contiguous to the inclined floor 19, unobstructed discharge of the coke takes place, and the gate is out of the path of movement of the coke when such discharge occurs.

The effective length of the gate opening rods 44 may be varied by adjustment of the nuts 45, in order to position the discharge gates 43 in the closed position (shown in FIGURE 2) for any desired inclination of the coke basket 13. Thus, the lengths of the gate opening rods 44 and the connecting rods 39 are adjusted relative to one another to effect pivotal movement of the discharge gates 43 when the basket is moved to the discharge position.

In order to restore the coke basket of the coke quenching car to the position shown in FIGURE 2 for recharging, the connections to the ports 27 and '28 of each of the fluid motors are reversed and pressure fluid is passed into port 27 and exhausted through port 28, thus driving each piston 29 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to that shown in FIGURE 2. As the piston 29 is so displaced, the cross-head 32 is moved back to the .position shown in FIGURE 2, the link 34- is similarly displaced, and the cross head lever 35 rocks shaft 36 to move lever 38 in a clockwise direction, forcing the connecting rod 39 upwardly to pivot the coke basket about the hinge pins 22 and thus restore it to the position shown in FIGURE 2. concomitantly, the gate opening rods as effect pivotal movement of the discharge gates 43 into the closed position thereof shown in FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that the hinge pins 22, about which the coke basket pivots, are laterally displaced from the center line of the floor 19 of the coke basket, i.e., the axis 24 defined by the hinge pins 22 is positioned closer to the edge of the floor 19 adjacent the basket side wall 18 than to the edge of the floor 19 adjacent .the basket side wall 17. Thus the center of gravity of the coke basket 13 is positioned somewhat to the right, viewing FIG- URES 2 and 3, of the axis 24, and the weight of the basket 13 tends to produce a clockwise torque about the hinge pins 22. This torque offsets any tendency of the coke basket, whether empty, IO'I' partially or completely filled with coke, to pivot about the hinge pins 22 and thus discharge coke therefrom, without the assistance of the fluid motor 25.

Moreover, any tendency for the basket .13- to tilt about the hinge pins 22 because of the weight of coke therein when in the charging position shown in FIGURE 2, is opposed by the fluid pressure exerted against the piston 29 and acting upon the floor of the basket through the linkage drive, described hereinabove. In the position shown in FIGURE 2, fluid pressure is exerted through port 27 against piston 29 and thus prevents the basket from being tilted. [In order to tilt the basket, it is necessary for the fluid pressure control system to operate to apply fluid pressure to port 28 and exhaust through port v 27. The pressure fluid system is designed to admit fluid throng-h port 28 only when the quench car is in the coke discharge position at the .coke wharf. Hence the fluid motor 25 is self locking.

The present invention thus provides a coke quenching car, including a gate opening mechanism automatically actuated by the tilting of the coke basket thereof, which car is so constructed as to facilitate eflicient operation thereof while preventing accidental discharge of the coke therefrom.

It will be understood that certain changes may be made in the embodiment of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the scope of this invention. It will therefore be understood that all matter contained in the above description or in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A coke quenching car comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid frame supported on wheels, a coke basket having a coke receiving floor pivotally mounted on said frame, a pair of discharge gates pivotally mounted adjacent their upper edges along the length of the coke discharge side wall of said basket, a fluid pressure cylinder for each gate fixedly mounted on said frame beneath said floor, a piston in said cylinder having a piston rod, a cross-head actuated by said piston rod, a link attached to said cross-head, a cross-head lever pivotally attached at one end to said link and at the opposite end to a rock shaft, a drive lever having one end on said rock shaft and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a connecting rod pivotally attached to said basket at the underside thereof near the said coke discharge side wall, said link, cross head lever, rock shaft, drive lever and pivotal connection of the drive lever to the underside of said basket being constructed and arranged so that movement of said drive lever in a downward direction effects the downward tliti-ng of the discharge side of the basket to effect the discharge of the coke therefrom, and a gate opening rod for each gate having one end pivotally attached to said gate and the other end pivoted to said frame at a portion thereof beneath said floor for automatically opening said discharge gate responsive to tilting movement of said basket as said operating cylinder is actuated to tilt said basket, each of said gate opening rods being disposed in a housing at the base of said basket adjacent the coke discharge side thereof, which housing prevents hot coke from contacting the gate opening rods.

2. A coke quenching car as defined in claim 1, in which the pressure cylinder is constructed and arranged so that the pressure fluid therein, when the basket is in the non-tilted position, acts on said piston to maintain said basket in the non-tilted position.

3. A coke quenching car comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid frame supported on wheels; a tiltable basket mounted on said frame for tilting movement, with the axis about which said basket tilts located on said frame with the floor of the basket above said axis, said basket having a front wall defining the coke discharge side of the basket; at least one discharge gate pivotally mounted adjacent its upper edge along the length of said front wall, with the lower edge of said gate disposed when closed adjacent to said floor of the basket; means for tilting said basket comprising a pressure fluid cylinder having a piston rod extending therefrom, linkage mechanism having one end fastened to said piston rod and the other end pivotally connected to the under side of said basket on the same side of the basket as the front wall relative to said axis about which the basket tilts, said linkage mechanism being constructed and arranged so that downward movement of the connection thereof to the under side of said basket effects the downward tilting of said basket to effect the discharge of the coke therefrom; a lever having one end pivoted to said frame beneath said [floor of the basket near the said front wall of the basket and having the other end pivotally secured to the upper portion of said discharge gate for automatically opening said gate responsive to said downward tilting of said basket.

4. The coke quenching car as defined in claim 3, in which the said pressure fluid cylinder is positioned substantially horizontally immediaely beneath the portion of the floor of the basket positioned at the side of the axis about which said basket tilts opposite to the side containing the said front wall, said linkage mechanism comprises a rock shaft and levers thereon, one of which has one end fastened to said piston rod and the other end to said rock shaft to effect rocking movement thereof and another lever has one end secured to said rock shaft and the other pivotally connected to the under side of said basket, said rock shaft being positioned below said axis about which the basket tilts and located on the same side of said axis as said front wall, and said basket has a housing in the lower portion thereof adjacent the said gate, which housing encloses the gate operating rod and thus protects the rod from the hot coke introduced into the basket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 908,869 King Jan. 5, 1909 1,317,253 Wright Sept. 30, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,537 Germany of 1941 435,127 Great Britain of 1935 

